Earth-boring machine



Sept, 2 1924.

J. M. H U MISTON EARTH BORING MACHINE Filed Jan. 14 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I II. I I I I dZI/Q a 5' J. M. HUMISTON EARTH BORING MACHINE Sept. 2. 1924.

Filed Jan. 14, 192] 2 Sheets-$heet 2 drawn/0ft Patented Sept. 2, 1924.

UNITED STATES JOHN M. HUMISTON, 0F BERWYN, ILLINOIS.

EARTH-BORING MACHINE.

Application filed January 14, 1921. Serial No. 437,278.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, JOHN M. HUMIsTON, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Earth-Boring Machines, of which the following is a speci- .fication.

This invention relates mainly to outside line construction as practiced by telegraph, telephone and power companies and especially to motor vehicles having power attachments for boring post holes.

The main objects of the invention are to provide an improved and simplified form of power vehicle or locomotive and crane attachment therefor having a more efiicient and desirable form of borlng apparatus and operating means than heretofore used; to provide better transmission connections and improvements in the construction of various parts of such a device; to combine and simplify the transmission and torque reaction members; to provide especially an improved form of earth auger; to provide simplified and efficient means for securing the an er in place interchangeably; and to provide improved means for'manually controlling the operation of the auger.

In the construction shown in the draw- 1ngs,

Figure 1 is a side view of a caterpillar locomotive type of earth boring machine.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the gearing whereby power is transmitted from the diagonal boom shaft to the upright auger shaft, the section I part beingat 22 on Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view of the earth auger, partly in axial section.

Fig. 4 is a side View of the auger frame.

Fig. 5 is a plan of one side thereof.

Fig. 6 is a side view of one of the auger blades.

Fig. 7 is a view still further enlarged showing how the auger shank is interchangeably connected to the driving shaft, the lock being shown open.

Fig. 8 is a cross section on the line'8-8 of Fig. 7.

In the construction shown in the drawings, the caterpillar locomotive 1 supports the rotary street crane 2. Said crane is equipped with an earth auger 3 mounted and operated as will be described. Driving means 4 in theform of an engine operated either by steam or gasoline is mounted on the ,rear of the crane platform and is connected by manually controlled gearing and clutch means 5 to operate either the caterpillar the auger or the'cable drums, as will be understood without full illustration in the drawings.

Power is transmitted forwardly from the clutch 5 by means of shaft 6 to a swinging shaft 6' and thence to a vertical shaft 7 whereon the auger is supported. The shaft 6 inorder that it may be freely movable both vertically and to some extent horizontally relative to the crane boom, is connected by a universal joint 8 to the horizontal shaft 6. Extensibility of said shaft 6 is provided for by means of a telescopic joint 9, so that the parts of shaft 6 are relatively movable lengthwise, though they are splined to prevent relative turning. Gearing 10 is provided at the forward end of shaft 6' for transmitting the power from said shaft to the auger shaft 7. The elevation of shaft 6' and the associated mechanism at its forward end is regulated by the crane 2 as will be understood. Said shaft 6 serves also to furnish torque reaction for the auger 3 as the latter engages the earth.

Manually operable means 11 are provided at the lower end of shaft 7 for opening and closing the auger blades as required for dumping.

In order to facilitate exchange of angers, a manually operable joint is provided at 12 for locking the auger shank securely to the power shaft 7 which depends from gearing The gear connection at 10 is mounted in.

a rigid frame 13 having journal bearings 14 and 15 disposed in pairs alined at right angles, the former to receive the forward end of shaft 6. and the latter to receive the supporting shaft 16 of worm gear 17. The shafts 6 and 16 are disposed in the same plane and their adjacent ends are connected by a pair of bevel gears 18 and 19 respectively, having mutual engagement. The up per end of the auger supporting shaft 7 is provided with a worm wheel 20 meshing with said gear 17, whereby the speed of the auger is greatly reduced relative to the speed of shaft 16. The worm wheel 20 and gear 17 are held in mutually operative position by a ings 22 fitting on the shaft 16 and other journal bearings at 23 for shaft 7 to which Worm Wheel 20 is keyed. The frame 21 has frame 21 having journal bearand the universal joint 8 permits the auger and the members at 10 to swing sidewise relative to the crane.

The au er itself comprises mainly a rigid frame 27 xed on the lower end of the auger shank 28 and a plurality of blades 29 of scoop-like character and elongated shape, normally positioned uprightly for swinging on their medial horizontal axes, where they are connected by pivots 30 to depending arms 31 of said frame. The upper ends of" said blades are connected by links 32 to a horizontal plate 33 which is provided with a vertically disposed journal or guide sleeve 34 for sliding up and down within said shank 28. Said plate 33 is also provided with upwardly extending lugs 35 connected to a sliding collar 36 which is raised and lowered manually by the control mechanism 11. The means 11 is in the form of a lever secured on a fixed pivot 37 at its inner end, and is provided with links 38 connecting said collar 36 to a medial point on said lever which is relatively near said pivot 37. Moving the lever one way raises the collar and closes the auger, and reverse movement operates to lower the collar and open the auger as required for discharging earth collected in the process of boring.

In order to center the auger and steady it, especially in the initial stages of boring a hole, a centering drill or pointer 39 is rovided in axial alinement with the sha t 7 and shank 28, said pointer being set rigidly in the guide tube 34.

The auger shank 28 is secured to the shaft 7 in telescopic relation, the latter fitting snugly within the former at 12. The joint is rendered rigid and secure by locking means 40 in the form of radially disposed plungers fitting in a ertures 41 and 42 in said shank and sha t respectively. Said plungers are arranged in pairs on opposite sides of the joint, one plungerabove the other and each pair of lungers is mounted on a corresponding vertically positioned leaf spring 43. The s rings 43 are attached at 44 to the upper en of shank 2'8 and extend downwardly outside of said shank in variably spaced relation thereto.

Manually operable means 45 are provided to urge said springs inwardly to set the plungers in the registering apertures 41 and 42 and to urge said springs outwardly to release said plungers from the apertures 42. aid means 45 Is in the form of a rigid sleeve or cylinder having interiorly disposed eccentric lugs or cams 46 and 47 formed and arranged to act inwardly and outwardly respectively against said springs 43 depending upon whether the sleeve is turned clockwise or reversely. Said cams are riveted to the sleeve 45 as shown at 48. The radially thick ends of the cams lie adj acently but are spaced apart at 48 sufliciently to admit the springs 43 in assembling.

The operation of the device is as follows :-In order to move'the boring machine along the street or roadway, the gearing 5 is adjusted to cause transmission of power to the caterpillar driving means. When the ploint is reached where a hole is to be bored, t e connections at 5 are changed so as to transmit power to the shaft 6 and thence on to the auger. The latter is lowered by means of the auger lift cable 26 wound on the power operated drum 49. As soon as the auger is filled with earth, the drum 49 is operated to raise the auger, which is then swung to one side and dumped by pulling out the hand lever 11. The auger is then swung back over the hole and the drum 49 is reversed so as to lower the auger into its working position, whereupon the operation is repeated until the hole is bored to the depth required.

The vertically adjustable boom 50 is hinged at 51 to the rotary platform 52. Its elevation is adjusted by the cable 53 wound on drum 54. The drums 49 and 54 are mounted on the mast 55. g

It is to be noted that the members 7 and 28 constitute substantially an extensible shank or driving shaft for the auger.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein. shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim: I

1. An earth boring device, comprising a traveling support having a rotary power crane mounted thereon, in combination with an earth auger carried by said crane, and transmission means operatively connecting said auger to the crane power source and manual means to control the application of power to the auger for driving same and to the crane for lifting and swinglng the auger, said transmission means including a power shaft supported swingingly and having at one end a universal joint connection and at its opposite end adjacent to the auger a system of gearing.

2. An earth boring machine including a portably mounted rotary crane having a lifting arm, power supplying means to operate the crane both for swinging the same and for lifting purposes, an earth auger carried by said arm, HIIdiPOWBI' transmission means for said auger including a telescopically extensible rotary driving shaft adapted and arranged at an angle to the auger axis so as to overcome the torque reaction of said auger,

3. An earth boring machine including a portably mounted rotary crane having a lifting arm, power supplying means to operate the crane both for swinging the same and for lifting purposes, an earth auger carried by said arm, and manually operable means to secure the auger in place interchangeably, said means comprising a telescopic joint provided with radially positioned yieldingly supported pins operable to interlock the joint members and manual means to engage and disengage said pins.

4:. An earth boring machine having a vertical torsion shaft, in combination with an auger interchangeably secured thereto, the connection therefor comprising a rotary sleeve having cams secured to its interior and a radially movable dog mounted yieldingly for operation to interlock or release said anger, the latter having a shank to fit telescopically with said shaft, and said dog being movable inwardly by rotation of said sleeve in one direction to lock said shank in place and being movable outwardly by re verse rotation of said sleeve to release said shank.

5. An earth boring machine comprising a crane in combination with an auger suspended vertically thereon and power transmission means extending from the crane base to said auger, said means including a pair of shafts disposed in parallel vertical planes respectively which though spaced apart somewhat are nearly coincident and are geared together, the gearing therefor comprising a pair of bevel gears, a worm and a worm Wheel arranged mechanically in the order stated toward the auger.

6. An earth boring machine comprising a crane in combination with an auger suspended vertically thereon and power transmission means extending from the crane base to said auger, said means including a pair of shafts disposed .in parallel planes and hinged together in power transmitting relation, the hinge means comprising a rigid member pivoted on a hcgizontal axis to one of said shafts and having the other shaft journaled thereon, and gearing being operatively organized and mounted on said rigid member and shafts to mechanically connect the latter.

7. In a device of the character described, a crane comprising a rotary base, a mast set thereon and a boom hinged thereto on a horizontal pivotal axis, in combination with an earth auger, power driving means there for and operating cables for the crane and auger, said driving means including an inclined torsion shaft hung under said boom, a universal joint at the rearward lower end of said shaft and gearing at its forward upper end communicating with the auger shank.

8. In a device of the character described a rigid frame having bearings at right angles in spaced planes, shafts in said bearings, a worm and a Worm wheel fixed on said shafts respectively and arranged to coact, a bevel gear fixed on the worm bearing shaft and a bevel gear supporting shaft journaled on said device and arranged to drive the first mentioned gear.

9. crane, in combination with an earth boring attachment suspended from its lifting boom, said attachment including an auger, a pair of driving shafts therefor, a hinge joining said shafts at an angle, and a chain of bevel and worm gearing on said hinge coturningly connecting said shafts, one of said shafts being hung vertically on said boom with the auger at-its lower end and the other being disposed laterally and supported at one end on the. crane base and the other end being carried by said boom.

10. In a device of the character described an earth auger, a driving shaft on which said auger is coturningly secured, a hinge 'oint on one member of which the upper end of said shaft is journaled, a horizontal worm shaft serving as a hinge pintle, a shaft journaled on the other hinge member, and gearing connecting said shafts.

11. In a device of the character described an earth auger, freely swinging means to support said auger, and a laterally extending rotary shaft geared to drive said auger, and said shaft serving to furnish torque reaction for the auger as it engages the earth.

12. An earth boring machine comprising a crane, a power shaft having stationary bearings on said crane, a boom shaft having universal joint connection to the first mentioned shaft, an earth auger suspended uprightly, said auger having an upwardly extending shaft whereon it is supported, means connecting the second and third mentioned shafts, said means including a hinge, the leaf members of which have journal bearings for the corresponding shafts, shaft connecting gearing therefor and means whereby said hinge is suspended from the crane.

13. A device of the character described mounted on said frame members and shafts end, a shaft journaled on one of said frames and operatively connecting the latter, said in the same plane with and at right angles frame being ofhinge-like form with jourto said pintle, a beveled gear on said shaft 15 nal bearings on each member to support and to coact with the first mentioned gear, a 5 retain said shafts in planes at right angles vertically suspended shaft journaled on the K to the hinge axis, one of said shafts being other frame, an anger on the latter shaft,

connected to receive power and the other and a worm Wheel on the second mentioned including the shank of an earth auger. shaft to coact with said worm.

15. In a device of the character described, Signed at Chicago this 4th day of J anu- 10 a pair of frames hinged together, the pintle ary 1921. i

therefor being in the form of a Worm disposed horizontally with a bevel gear on one JOHN M. HUMISTON. 

